Insiders have revealed the fascinating secrets of Netflix’s success, including how closely subscribers’ viewing habits are tracked.
The California-based streamer can track every show and movie ever watched by every subscriber. They know if you’ve finished watching it — and even if you watched it on a TV, computer, or phone.
Servers also track how people scroll through the service before deciding what to watch, and whether your choice results from finding one thing and then discovering another.
Netflix uses an algorithm – a mathematical formula – that analyzes this data to decide which suggestions to offer its users.
Its ability to use data helped it retain subscribers with original content, adding an additional 5.9 million subscribers in its latest quarter as profits grew.
The company attributed the increase to a crackdown on password sharing and said it had the best streaming series for all but one of the first 25 weeks of the year.
An expert says the amount of user data compiled includes detailed accounts of what people watch, for how long and from which device
This image released by Netflix shows a scene from the popular Korean series called “Squid Game”.
Netflix is a private company and keeps the vast majority of the data it collects under close surveillance, as it is entitled to.
A new California law offers insight into their data collection and how they manipulate it to their advantage.
The California Consumer Privacy Act requires companies to provide customers, upon request, with the data they have about them.
Brennan Schaffner, PhD in computer science. student at the University of Chicago, said the wall street journal the data reveals a level of granularity.
It says the data includes: “Detailed accounts of every piece of content you’ve engaged with since creating your account.”
This can help decide which shows get renewed or cancelled, though Netflix insists this isn’t decided solely on the basis of numbers, with critical reviews and prestige also likely to be factored in.
Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said in June that “algorithms don’t decide what we do.”
Bajaria added, “There’s no algorithm that would probably say, you know what’s a good idea?” A period show about a woman playing chess.
She was referring to the award-winning series “The Queens” Gambit, which aired successfully.
Olivia Deane, a senior analyst at Ampere, a company that collects media and entertainment data, told the WSJ that shows typically only last three seasons.
Deane suggests that titles that go beyond their third season have limited utility in terms of attracting new ones and retaining existing titles.
Despite this, the streaming service is keeping some long-running series, including “Big Mouth,” which has been renewed through season eight.
Scripted titles accounted for two-thirds of the shows Netflix decided to renew, suggesting the company found they were paying off in terms of attracting and retaining subscribers.
Anya Taylor-Joy, pictured here as the character of Beth Harmon, in the popular series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’
Actor Charlie Cox, pictured here, said he was ‘saddened’ after the Daredevil series he starred in was dropped by the company
Despite this, the streaming service is keeping some long-running series, including “Big Mouth,” which has been renewed through season eight.
Scripted titles accounted for two-thirds of the shows Netflix decided to renew, suggesting the company found they were paying off in terms of attracting and retaining subscribers.
An example of a show that went on hiatus after three seasons was the popular superhero series “Daredevil.”
A fourth season had been launched by television writer Erik Oleson in November 2018, but the company decided to cancel the series after three seasons.
Actor Charlie Cox, who played the show’s title character, said he was “saddened” by the abrupt decision.
Popular show Stranger Things has been renewed for a fifth and is considered one of Netflix’s flagship series
Left to right: David Harbor as Jim Hopper and Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in Stranger Things
Cox said Weekly entertainment: ‘A lot of us really expected to continue, and I certainly did.
“The truth is, I felt like we had a lot of stories to tell, and while I understand (the cancellation), I’m very saddened by it.”
After dropping the series, Disney+ announced a series titled “Daredevil: Born Again” slated to premiere in early 2024.
Apart from that, Deane also told WSJ that a great example of their strategy is the ever-popular “Stranger Things” series.
The show only lasted four seasons, with a fifth on the way, and it’s the type of scripted programming that Netflix can bank on for success.
